Holiday Wedding (Holiday Romance-Spicy Version #2)

31

Tuesday, December 24

Wedding Day

Jenny

Ihold my phone up to Dean. It’s set on an Instagram post from a month ago.

He says, peering at the tiny screen, “That’s Lola.”

“I know. It’s from Tokyo. She was there at the same time as Gwen and Caleb.” I tell him. “Look at the background. See that man back there? In the shadows?” I scroll to a TikTok post from six months earlier and then to another from last week. “Here too. The same guy is behind Lola in each picture.”

“Justin,” says Dean, sounding stunned.

I nod. “Both Justin and Lola’s social media posts correspond to Caleb’s trips in and out of L.A., and these photos prove they’re together. In this one, Justin has his hand around her waist.”

Dean bows his head and scrubs his hands over his eyes. “We have to tell Caleb.”

As we walk, I give my phone to Dean. “Read that email,” I tell him. He pales when he sees what Wes has written.

Caleb’s hair sticks up when we approach him. He’s been running his hands through it again. Dean and I exchange a worry-filled glance.

“You know Justin Barnes?” I ask Caleb.

His eyes ping-pong between Dean and me, searching, “He’s my understudy at the theater.”

“Do you have any idea what job he had before he started working in your show?” I try to keep my tone calm, not wanting to frighten Caleb more than he already is, but internally I’m panicking. Based on the email from my reporter friend Wes, Lola’s secret boyfriend Justin has an alarming criminal history that includes extortion and assault. Wes’s investigation also touched on Justin’s previous occupations.

“No.” Caleb’s mouth draws into a tight line. “He mentioned he hated it, wherever he worked, but that was it. Why?”

Dean takes over. “He was a baggage handler here, in this airport. He’s been working with Lola—”

Shock drops Caleb’s jaw. “Lola?”

“Lola and Justin. They’re the ones who have been taking pictures of you and posting them to that Secret Santa website.” Dean hangs his head. “I’m so sorry. I background-checked Justin, but he used an alias and I fell for it. This is all my fault.”

A pang of sympathy for Dean. I can feel him take on this burden, the blame for Gwen’s disappearance. He’s adding it to his list of failures, along with the explosion that killed his friends. I want to comfort him. To tell him this had nothing to do with him, but there’s no time.

Dean continues. “If something happened to Gwen at this airport, Lola and Justin must be behind it. It’s too much of a coincidence.”

“No.” Desperation and fear tighten Caleb’s voice. He looks from Dean to me. He pleads, “I can’t lose Gwen. I just can’t. She’s everything to me.”

“I know.” My chin quivers. “I feel the same way. We have to find her—”

The color drains from his face. “If they hurt her—”

I finish my sentence. “Before it’s too late.”